Chinese company offers $5.2B for Louisville Slugger owner

Chinese investors have their eye on the ball — baseball, that is. Louisville Slugger — the all-American bat brand favored by legends like Babe Ruth and Jackie Robinson — is poised to get scooped up by a Chinese conglomerate. More On: mergers & acquisitions Marlboro maker Altria officially enters the marijuana business TheStreet will sell The Deal and BoardEx for $87.5M Justice Department disappointed by judges in AT&T-Time Warner hearing Appeals court hears arguments against AT&T-Time Warner deal China-based Anta Sports is offering to purchase the Finland-based Amer Sports, which in addition to Louisville Slugger owns the Wilson and Salomon brands, for $5.2 billion, according to a regulatory filing. Louisville Slugger, founded by manufacturer Hillerich & Bradsby 133 years ago, operates a factory and museum in its namesake Kentucky hometown, where visitors can take a 30-minute factory tour and purchase a personalized bat. Amer Sports, which bought Hillerich & Bradsby in 2015, said in the filing that it would continue to operate independently but use the Anta Sports’ distribution network and manufacturing capabilities. So where does that leave the bat-making operation in Louisville? Anta, for its part, said it does not expect the purchase to have “any immediate material effect” on the “management or employees or business locations.” A spokeswoman added that Anta does not plan to take over the manufacturing of the bats. Amer did not immediately respond to a question from The Post. But the Finnish company’s boss is keen to sign the deal. “The offer,” Amer Chairman… [Read full story]